Back to the point: new datings for la Peña de Candamo Cave art (Asturias)

Abstract

La Peña de Candamo was discovered by the scientific community in 1914, being one of the first known caves in the Cantabrian region, and declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. The only monographic study of its parietal art was led and published by E. Hernández Pacheco in 1919, showing exceptional complexity and graphic density. In 2007, a new research project was launched to update all the information related to the cave's parietal art from a multidisciplinary perspective. Within this context, and starting from the radiocarbon tests made by J. Fortea in the late 20th century, tests have been conducted at the Gif-sur-Yvette to date a series of black dots located on the "Engraving's Wall". The fact that the results are di - fferent to those published to date leads to the discussion as to which to accept based on the followed metho - dologies and protocols. Likewise, the implications of these results in the decorating of the cave and their place within the artistic production of the region during the Upper Palaeolithic period are also analysed